Sharp Curve
by 3xy
Summary: Nominated at the COH awards for best angst. Thank you! AU. Buffy Summers is married to Liam Cooke, a 34 year old Architect, who cheats on and beats her. She meets their new chauffeur and falls in love with him. But is he really who she thinks he is?
1. Headlights

**Sharp Curve**

**A/N: Thank you to DawnofMe and Tanit over at SR for betaing this chapter. :D**

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**Chapter 1: Headlights**

Buffy Summers-Cooke, or Anne, as she was most fondly called by her absentee and adulterer husband, stared out of the window as rain trickled down, mimicking the drops that ran down her flushed cheeks that rainy Monday morning.

She had caught her husband of five years in the middle of giving one of their maids oral sex just the other night. The worst thing was the bastard had the audacity to do it in **their** bedroom. She wanted to leave him. She really did. But then he begged -- no, more of forced her to stay with him, threatening her family and herself. And she knew he could have done it.

She was twenty-one when they met. He had been a strapping young architect, working for her family's company, Summers Architecture, which was run by her uncle. She had met him at her cousin's wedding, to which he had apparently been invited to because her uncle adored him, and she immediately fell for him. He was tall, with chocolate brown hair and piercing dark eyes that made her melt. But he wasn't just easy on the eyes. He was also dark and mysterious and a little brooding. To her, all those things only made him sexier.

Oh yes -- he had her at 'hello'.

Two years into the relationship, however bumpy it was, he had proposed to her. And of course, she'd said yes. Her parents adored him; worshiped him even. So did she, by that time. He was well off, talented in more ways than one and he was the love of her life.

The first two years of their marriage were like a fairytale. The next three were just like hell.

She had let him get away with all his previous indiscretions because she loved him too damn much. He was like a drug to her: unhealthy but addictive.

She had lost sleep because of it, because of him, and because of her. She couldn't have cared less about his 'late night meetings' or his 'two-week long out of town trips' or her bruises or black eyes or cuts. All that mattered was that he came home. To her.

Up until that point.

She finally snapped out of her nostalgia for the long forgotten past as her husband, Liam Cooke, finally finished taking a bath. With a shaky hand, she wiped off the streaks of tears on her cheeks and took a deep breath.

He walked out of their private bathroom, one of the four bathrooms they had, with only a flimsy towel covering him. Oh, he loved to tease her; to taunt her with something she used to have everyday, but apparently can never have again, even once a week. She watched him pull on and zip up his pants, then button his polo shirt, reminiscing about those times when she used to unzip and unbutton them.

After years of much needed practice, she finally knew that the best way to distract herself from clouding her thoughts with remembrances of their once passionate relationship was to talk to him. "What time will you be home tonight?" she asked, walking to the door and leaning against the door frame.

And it worked like a charm, every time. His words and the way he talked to her always slapped her with some sense: that he wasn't the man she fell in love with anymore. "I don't know yet. Might… have a meeting." Ah. He picked the purple tie again. She knew who loved that purple tie: one of the secretaries, Harmony Kendall. Indeed, he might have a meeting. "Where are you off to? You're awfully well-dressed," he said, eyeing the white day dress she chose to wear.

"Your sister's coming over for brunch, remember?"

He never did pay attention to her. She could have told him she was pregnant and all he would respond would be a nonchalant 'uh-huh'. But maybe even if he was listening and she would tell him she was pregnant, he would still answer with a nonchalant 'uh-huh'. He did not care much for her these days.

"Right. I forgot," he said, buckling his briefcase shut. "Tell Dru I said 'hi'."

"Will do," she said softly as he pushed past her.

It was a routine for her every morning for the past three years. She would stand there, by their bedroom door while she waited for him to finish dressing so he could give her a goodbye kiss on his way out, but it never came.

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Drusilla, Liam's sister, was one of her closest friends. Buffy had told her all the horrible things he had done to her right from the beginning. The first time he hit her after arguing over his 'late night activities', Drusilla was there, as she was staying over while her house was being renovated and had witnessed the whole thing. Buffy's first thought was that she was going to take her brother's side. Instead, she went off on her brother and made him sleep at a hotel, which he gladly did.

That was how she and Dru became good friends. In fact, Dru had told her time and time again to leave Liam, ever since that first time. But she just couldn't bring herself to do so.

"And how is my bastard of a brother?" Dru asked, stirring the cup of coffee she held in her hand. She and Buffy sat in the gazebo in the middle of the backyard. The rain had finally stopped, along with her tears.

All Buffy could do with her cup of coffee was stare at it. "Busy. As always."

Drusilla knew when she said 'busy', she did not mean with work. "Busy with whom, might I ask?"

"I…" She paused, unsure if she should continue, since a proper scolding would surely follow. "I caught him the other day."

"Again? My, my. Isn't my Liam a busy boy?" She clicked her tongue in disappointment, more in Buffy than in Liam.

Buffy sighed in exasperation. "I don't want to hear it, Dru."

"Why do you put up with his shit, Buf? I know he's my brother but… he doesn't deserve you. You should divorce him."

She rolled her eyes. "So that I could end up a twenty nine year-old divorcee? I don't think so." But that wasn't what she was thinking at all. Liam would definitely not be happy if she decided to leave him.

0101010

Buffy climbed into the backseat of one of their cars that afternoon, looking out of the window again, wistfully, the moment she settled in.

"Where to, ma'am?" A low, British voice asked her. Gary, their chauffeur of a year, was not British. But she was too tired and depressed to care about who was going to drive her.

'Where to?', indeed. Maybe Drusilla was right. She was still young, still sexy, still delectable. She could have any man she wanted if she chose to leave Liam… Right. Like any man would want a young divorcee. Sheesh. Besides, could she even survive the beating she would surely get if she handed Liam divorce papers? "Summers Architecture, please."

It took about five minutes into the drive before she caught a glimpse of her chauffeur in the rear view mirror. The young man had deep blue eyes, high cheek bones, a pale complexion, and blond hair. The man was definitely not Gary. Gary was old. Gary had gray hair and was stubby. The man who was driving her then was not-- **definitely not** --stubby. "Are you new?"

The dashing young man glanced back at her through the rear view mirror. "Yes, ma'am. Mr. Cooke hired me yesterday."

You'd think that after five years of marriage, Liam would have let her in on the decision-making in the house. But for once, he did something right. The man before her was a god. "What's your name?"

"William."

_TBC..._


	2. Headlights Part 2

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thank you to my beta, DawnofMe. My writing would be crappier if not for you.

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**Chapter 2: Headlights Part Two**

"What's your name?" Buffy asked, intrigued by the man before her.

"William."

It was his real name, undoubtedly, but during his late teenage years, he began to be known as 'Spike'. He was a punk – bleach blond hair (which he still maintained), black painted fingernails (which he still had), and all-black attire (which he still wore when not at work). But that wasn't the reason why he was called Spike.

He was called Spike because he was good in bed. Really good.

Mind you, he wasn't a player or a cheater and he rarely had one night stands. He'd only had three girlfriends, all of which he'd taken seriously. It just so happened that the first two liked to gossip. And because he was from a small town where everybody knew almost everybody, news spread fast.

When he moved to California in his twenties, he would always introduce himself as 'William' even though he liked 'Spike' better. Only those people he liked and became close to could call him by his nickname. If he didn't like you, then there was no way in hell you can call him 'Spike'.

"…but my friends call me Spike," he continued.

"Spike? And why is that?"

A sneer crept across his face as he glanced at her again in the rear view mirror. " 'S jus' a nickname, ma'am."

Nicknames like that don't just happen. She knew there was much more to it and she wanted to find out, but she figured it would just have to wait. He would probably, hopefully, be working for them for a long time, so she had all the time in the world to get to know him.

And she really did want to get to know him. Not just because he was good looking, but also because there was something about him. He seemed to be dark and mysterious – just like Liam was.

"Please don't call me ma'am. You make me sound so old."

"Well, aren't you?"

She scoffed. How dare he even suggest such a thing? "Hey!" she protested. Then her bottom lip stuck out in a pout.

Of all the families who could have hired him, why did it have to be one where the woman was so fucking hot? And that damn lip! Fortunately, the rear view mirror could only see as low as her collarbone or he would have seen just how low the neckline of the dress she wore was.

"I was kidding, ma'am. It was one of Mr. Cooke's rules: to call him sir and to call you ma'am."

"Oh, phooey. Don't mind him. Just call me Buffy. Not in front of Liam, of course. He hates my name. He prefers my middle name, Anne. But Anne is just so… blah, you know? It's too common, too boring. I'm neither common nor boring. And Buffy -- well, it's different. I like Buffy and-"

He quickly spoke with a huge smile on his face, stopping her from her rambling though he found it just adorable. "I like Buffy, too."

"Thank you."

Buffy was too preoccupied with trying to hide how furiously she was blushing and with stifling a wide smile to even notice that they had arrived. "Here we are."

"What? Oh. Sorry."

There she was, at her family's company to surprise her husband with lunch. She gazed at the doors of the front lobby, hoping it wouldn't be her that would be surprised.

Spike jumped out of the car and opened the door for her. He stood still, holding the door open, and waited for her to come out. "Ma'am? Buffy?" He bent over, his eyes immediately and involuntarily falling on her cleavage. _Bloody hell! She's your boss, for God's sake!_ He mentally slapped himself and jerked his head up just as her gaze moved towards him.

She blushed even more from surprise that they were face to face. "Could you wait for me at the parking lot? I will just be a few minutes," she said, getting the paper bag beside her.

010101010

Her knuckles almost turned white from how hard she gripped the handle of the paper bag as the elevator ascended. The last few times she visited him during work, she had caught him flirting with his secretary, Harmony Kendall. Hopefully, he would actually be working this time.

The ding of the elevator snapped her out of her musings and she walked out.

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Cooke," the secretary greeted her. _Thank God she's not in Liam's office. _"Mr. Cooke is in a meeting right now. If you could just-"

She barged into his office, completely ignoring Harmony. But she was right. He **was** in a meeting.

Although his huge desk covered his lower part so she did not exactly see what was happening, his slightly turned chair, his facial expression and the bobbing head behind the desk was enough for her to figure it out.

"Anne! Jesus!" Liam pushed one of the other secretaries off of him when he saw Buffy, making the secretary release Liam's large member out of her mouth.

"You forgot to lock the door," Buffy said, braving a 'could-care-less' expression.

Glory, the secretary, sheepishly excused her self, made her way out of the office and closed the door behind her.

"Told Harmony to say I was in a meeting," he grumbled as he zipped up his pants.

"I was just going to drop off your lunch." She haphazardly threw the paper bag onto his desk and hurriedly ran out of his office.

That was the last straw. Dru was right. She didn't deserve him and she definitely didn't deserve the things he did. She had been the perfect wife to him and all he could repay her with was heart ache and bruises.

She had enough. If only she could leave him…

010101010

Spike turned to Buffy as she got in the backseat of the car and saw her eyes filled with tears. He wasn't sure if it was his place to ask, as he was just her employee. "You alright?"

"I'm fine. Let's just go," she mumbled, wiping the tears quickly.

He nodded, started the car and drove off before speaking again. "You sure?" He glanced at her again in the rear view mirror and saw that she was, in fact, not alright. She was staring out the window while tears streamed down her cheeks. _Stupid git. Of course she's not alright. _"If you need someone to talk to. Or if you need anything..."

"Thank you, William," she smiled at him sweetly when he glanced at her again.

"Please, call me Spike."

Telling someone to call him Spike the first day he met that someone was a first for him.

"We should have lunch," she said hesitantly. She was sad and lonely. Besides, having lunch with someone of the opposite sex wasn't cheating.

As much as he wanted to have lunch with her, he took his job very seriously. And another one of Liam's rules was that he should not join him or Buffy for any meal. He was only to eat along with the other house maids in the dirty kitchen. "I can't, ma'am."

"Why not? And jeez, stop calling me ma'am."

"Another one of Mr. Cooke's rules."

"What's with all the rules when he's the one breaking them all the time?" she grumbled.

What she said gave him an idea about why she was crying. Either Liam cheated on her or – well, that was about it.

"Ooh!" she squealed when she saw one of her favorite restaurants. "Stop here!"

"But-" he started, although he had already pulled over.

"No buts. We're having lunch."

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**TBC...**

**A/N: Feedback would be appreciated.**


	3. Lunch

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. :) Thank you to dawnofme for beta reading. You've helped me a lot!

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**Chapter 3: Lunch**

After a full five minutes of begging and convincing, Spike finally agreed to have lunch with Buffy, just because she was his boss and he was obligated to do what she asked of him and not because he wanted to get to know her better or because he wanted to spend time with her.

They spent the first hour debating on whether Spike should order or not, waiting for the two plates with her favorite dish she'd ordered, since Spike didn't want to order, and eating in utter silence.

Buffy, having had it with the silence, asked Spike what he thought of the steamed fish fillet with garlic dish. And just like that, they couldn't stop talking.

"How long have you lived here?" she asked as she took a sip of her iced tea. It wasn't really the question she wanted to ask. What she really wanted to know was if he had a girl friend or if he was married (but since he wasn't wearing a ring, he probably wasn't) or if he was gay. But she didn't want to scare him off by asking really personal questions right off the bat. Besides, it wasn't like she was interested in him. She was just interested in knowing him, especially since he would be working for them. There's a difference. _There is. _She just didn't know what her question had to do with his job.

"I moved here a couple of years ago when my mum died," Spike answered sadly. He didn't like talking about his mother. She was all he'd had after his father left and her death had crushed him. That was why he moved to California – to start anew.

"Oh… I'm so sorry." _So much for not getting too personal._

He waved his hand. "It's alright. You didn't know."

Spike expected a lot of things when he'd applied for the chauffeuring job. He'd expected his boss to be an arrogant prick who only cared about money. He'd expected him to completely ignore him and just order him around. Well, he had been right.

He then braced himself for spoiled, little bratty children and a snobby, vain and bitchy wife. But Buffy was the exact opposite of all those things. She was nice, friendly, sweet and, oh yeah, hot as fucking hell. How she could have stayed with a man such as Liam? He had no idea.

As hard as he tried to not gaze at her while she took a sip of her iced tea ever so slowly, he still did. How could he not, when even the way she sipped her drink was so sensual?

"So… where did you work before?" she continued with her interrogation.

He chuckled lightly and tilted his head in amusement. She sure was pretty interested in him. "Used to work at a bar when I first got here."

Buffy didn't hear his answer. She was too entranced by the adorable and sexy head-tilting thing he just did. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Said I worked in a bar."

"Really? Do you do those shake-y things? I've always wanted to learn all those cool shake-y things bartenders do when they're mixing cocktails!" Buffy gave him a beaming smile.

He smiled widely at how adorable she was. He wanted to correct her and tell her it was called 'flair bartending' but she was just too cute. _Cool shake-y things._ He loved his job already. "If you want, I'll teach them to you sometime. I'm not too good at it, though."

She could just imagine him showing her how to spin the bottles and stuff and then ripping her clothes off… "Oh, my God, that would be so cool!"

If Buffy was at home, in her room, she would probably be bawling her eyes out instead of enjoying herself. And she was having fun. There was something about Spike that made it so easy to talk with him. Yep, she could see a long, wonderful friendship with him.

She didn't even notice that hours had passed and that it was already six in the evening. _Wow. We've been sitting and talking here for four hours._

"Oh, crap. Look at the time. We should really be heading back," she said as she stood up. "Liam hates it when he comes home and I'm not there."

0101010

"Where the hell have you been? I called you ten times," Liam shouted at Buffy when she entered the house.

"I don't ask about your rendezvous, so don't ask about mine," she snapped back and headed up the stairs.

"What?! Anne! Look at me when I'm talking to you," he snarled, grabbed her arm forcefully and made her look at him. And she did: long and hard, her eyes burning with hate.

The couple turned to the door when it creaked open once again. They saw Spike standing by the door, surprised by the scene before him. Buffy took the opportunity to immediately jerk her arm from Liam's grip and continue up the stairs.

"Anne!" Liam called after to her. He then glanced back at Spike who was still looking at him, trying to figure out what just happened. "What are you looking at?"

"Nothing, Sir." Spike then shook his head, excused himself, and headed to his room. _Wanker._

0101010

When Spike had worked in a bar, he was up until about five in the morning and then would sleep in until two in the afternoon. From then on, he had trouble sleeping.

He went out of his small room and headed to the dirty kitchen to find himself something to eat or drink.

"Bloody-!" He stepped back in surprise when he saw a woman sitting alone in the dark. He turned the lights on and saw Buffy. "Ma'am. You scared the shit out of me," he gasped and held his chest. _Finally, something good came out of my nocturnal tendencies._

"Sorry," Buffy mumbled, keeping her head bowed down.

"Too late for ice cream, innit?"

"It's never too late for ice cream. Ice cream is comfort food. Want some?" She wiggled her eyebrows as she waved the ice cream-filled spoon at him.

"Yeah, sure," he smiled, grabbed a spoon from the cupboard and sat beside her. "What happened with Mr. Cooke?"

"It was nothing." She sighed heavily before taking a spoonful of the chocolate ice cream into her mouth.

"Didn't look like nothing."

"Nosy little employee," she teased.

_You idiot. She's your boss! Stop talking to her like she's your mate!_ "I'm sorry."

She giggled at how embarrassed he looked. "I'm kidding. Jeez, lighten up."

Spike stared at her then narrowed his eyes at her bottom lip and noticed that it was bleeding. "What happened?"

She dabbed at her wound gently, holding back the urge to cry when she remembered what happened. "Oh. This?" she said, forcing a smile. "This is… nothing. Just clumsy me bumping into things." _Bumping into Liam's huge hands._

Spike stared at her worriedly. He knew it wasn't even close to being the truth. The way Liam gripped her arm and the way he talked to her earlier that evening said it all.

"I know it isn't my place to ask but… did Mr. Cooke do that? Does he beat you?" Judging by the way she averted his eyes, he figured the answer was a 'yes'. "Why don't you leave him, then? Any bloke would be lucky to have you."

She smiled slightly at him. "It's complicated." And boy was that an understatement.

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**TBC...**

**A/N: Please review. I would really appreciate it.**


	4. The Contract

**Sharp Curve**

**A/N: I don't own BtVS... I don't want to... I do want JM... :D Thank you for the reviews. And thank you to dragonflylady over at Spuffy Realm for beta reading**

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**Chapter 4: The Contract**

Richard and Hank Summers were good men. They were, despite being deceitful, accepting and soliciting bribes and gratuities, and ripping off clients, amongst other things. They were faithful husbands and loving fathers. They just happen to love money so damn much.

It's not that Buffy wasn't grateful for the life her father gave her but she knew there were much more important things such as being there for one's daughter's ballet recital.

Summers Architecture was just a small architecture firm in Sunnydale, California back then. But after receiving various awards and being recognized over the past twenty years, it became one of the most well known and sought after architecture firm in California. They moved to a new office (or building, really), hired a number of distinguished architects, and developed a wide range of clientele.

You'd think that being the C.E.O. of that big a company, Richard didn't need dirty work.

Liam, being so close to Buffy's uncle, knew about everything; every single detail that could mean multiple lawsuits for the company. Hell, he'd participated in them. He had to admit, he was greedy too. It might have been one of the reasons why he and Richard became close.

The first moment Liam saw Buffy, he fell in love with her.

He was young then, wanted to fall in love, and was not as ambitious. He has never fallen in love before. He was with a different girl every night. Monogamy was not high on his list. He had been around the block (and then some), and was damn proud of it. But then Buffy came along and changed him into a one-woman man for a few years until he decided that monogamy was too boring. Buffy's constant nagging to have children also irritated him to death. And then he just fell out of love. Don't get him wrong, Buffy was the perfect wife.

Perfection was boring.

But Liam was a greedy and selfish man. When he deemed something his, it should be his forever, unless he said he didn't want it anymore. And Buffy, well, he still wanted Buffy. Her connections, that is.

After everything he'd done to her, he knew that when she filed for divorce, he'd get nothing and would get fired from her uncle's company. That was why he kept threatening to come out with everything he knew about the company if she left him. And knowing Buffy… She loved her family so much that she'd do anything, even if it meant putting her life in danger, for them.

And that's where William came in.

Spike really did apply for the chauffeuring job position. It was indicated on the newspaper advertisement that he'd be getting at least two thousand five hundred dollars a month. It also said that it was 'negotiable'. Two thousand five hundred dollars was certainly a big leap from the salary plus tips he got from being a bartender. He quickly jumped at the opportunity and arranged an interview with Mr. Cooke.

Little did he know that the 'negotiation' included a very weird and might-be-a-felony proposition. Liam offered him ten thousand dollars to seduce his wife or make her fall in love with him, have her sleep with him, and bring him the evidence he needed. It was wrong, and something he has never done. But he was deeply in debt and needed the money. Plus, hey, free lodging, right? Free lodging at a beautiful, almost mansion-like house. He could finally get out of the hellhole he called home.

At first, he hesitated and even wanted to leave. He was shocked and scared and kind of flattered (because of all the people Liam interviewed, he had chosen him). But after thinking things through, he finally signed the damn contract.

Spike had assumed of course that Liam's wife was as manipulative and as sick as he was. Why else would he do such a thing if not for revenge?

But then he met her and bloody Hell, was he mistaken!

That night after he and Buffy shared that pint of ice cream, after she'd gone back upstairs and he'd gone back into his small room, his mind reeled from all the thinking he did. He wanted a way out of the mess he'd got himself into. He wanted to warn her, somehow, because he knew if he got out of his contract with Liam that the bastard would just find someone else to do the job. And then he realized he would never get out of it, seeing that Liam was a scum bag. He figured Liam would off him, or turn him in to the police with some sob story. Either way, he was royally done for.

And then he thought of Buffy. Sweet, hot, beautiful Buffy.

He couldn't leave her to that bastard! He needed to stay; he needed to be with her. He needed to do something other than stand about and watch him beat her and cheat on her.

Oh, dear God, he was falling for her. Another reason why Liam could off him or turn him into the police. Great. Just great.

"Good morning, Spike," Buffy greeted him as she sauntered into the dirty kitchen as Spike sat on a stool, eating breakfast.

His day just got better. "Mornin' ma'am," he smiled.

She really didn't like being called ma'am. Every maid or chauffeur they had called her Buffy, and she liked it that way, so she pouted. He instantly got what she meant and corrected, "Buffy."

God, he liked saying her name.

"Slept well?" she asked him as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Hm," he nodded and smiled inwardly when he remembered what he had dreamed about. He was James Bond and Buffy was the Bond girl and Liam was the evil villain. And what did James Bond do with every Bond girl? Have sweet, hot, passionate sex. Then he remembered she was her boss. He jerked his head up to face her. "Yeah. I mean, yeah."

"Me too," she smiled widely. "I think the ice cream helped." She then moved towards Spike and gave him a hug. "Thank you for last night."

_Oh God, she's too fucking close._

Before he could die from the contact, she pulled away and smiled at him sweetly.

"'S nothin'. Will you need my services today?"

Buffy almost choked on the coffee she was drinking. "W-what?"

"Chauffeuring, love. It's what I do?" he said, arching that sexy scarred eyebrow of his. _I'm so going to ask him how he got that. And oh! He called me love…_

Her cheeks turned bright red from embarrassment. "Oh. OH. That. Uhm… No. Gary already drove Liam to work. And I won't be going anywhere today," she chuckled nervously before grabbing her cup of coffee. "Bye," she chuckled again and then headed out of the kitchen, showing him that arse which was emphasized by the jeans she was wearing.

Yep. He definitely wasn't going anywhere. Not until he got her out of this bloody excuse for a marriage.

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**TBC...**

**A/N: Do you hate me? Do you hate Liam? Do you hate Spike? Is the hate enough to make you review? :D**


	5. Deep Shit

**Sharp Curve**

Thank you to dawnofme for betaing this. And OMG thank you SO MUCH to whomever nominated this at the Cradle of Humanity Awards for best angst!! I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL. :D

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**Chapter 5: Deep Shit**

Buffy walked out of the kitchen, her cheeks still flushed from thinking about the other 'services' that Spike could offer her: massaging her neck, massaging her shoulders, massaging her back, massaging her tight inner walls with his len-- _Bad, bad thoughts! _She quickened her pace and rid her mind of the dirty and wrong thoughts. _God, what is wrong with me?_

She sat down at the end of the dining table, placed her coffee mug in front of her and stirred endlessly as she mused. She had learned from last night how incredibly sensitive and sweet Spike could be, despite his bad boy appearance. Well, if sweetness entailed threatening to beat up Liam if he ever hurt her again or awkwardly patting her back as tears ran down her cheeks, that is.

"Mrs. Cooke, some people are here to see you," Gina, one of the older maids, said. Buffy hadn't even heard the doorbell when it rang. She was so engrossed in thoughts of Spike that she also failed to remember that she had a wound on her lip, as she asked Gina to let the guests into the living room.

Willow Rosenberg, one of Buffy's best friends since high school, Willow's girlfriend Tara Mclay, and Buffy's younger sister Dawn sat on the sofa as they waited for Buffy.

The first thing that the three saw was the cut on Buffy's lip. Willow and Tara's expressions were mainly of worry. They knew some of the things that had been going on and much like Dru, they keep telling her to leave him.

Dawn, on the other hand, had no idea about what was going on behind closed doors. Her expression was of pure indifference. Of course, she didn't think anything of it. She'd only seen Buffy with some minor cuts and bruises once or twice before, since she was almost always away.

Buffy awaited Willow and Tara's questions, but none came. They knew the last thing Buffy wanted was for her family to get sucked in to this huge mess, even though they technically were a major part of it (because of what her family's business had to do with it). So they just gave her a meaningful look and smiled sympathetically at her as Dawn began her stories about college life and her last year in Stanford.

Buffy was absolutely proud of her sister, having had made it through four years of college, and was happy that she wasn't in deep shit, unlike her.

_Truly in deep shit._

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Spike wanted to help Buffy leave Liam, but he couldn't do that just yet. He had been avoiding her all day so that he could try and resist his attraction to her. It wasn't that easy since they lived in the same house; albeit, a huge one. Things would have been better if it was just a load of sexual tension and his horniness and her damn hotness, but he knew it was much more than that. Sexy, hot women; yeah, he could resist them. He'd been doing that for years. However, he knew Buffy was different. She was exactly the type of woman that he could fall so deeply in love with. And that scared the hell out of him. He wasn't just scared of falling in love and getting his heart broken, he was scared that if he did fall in love with her and if he tried to do something about it, Liam would win. And God, he didn't want that.

He figured it was best to keep his distance while he got Buffy out of her hell of a marriage. He had no idea how to do that though. It was practically common sense that what Buffy meant by 'it's complicated' was that she couldn't leave Liam for some important reason, maybe something work-related or family-related. It was probably not a life-or-death thing but something close to that.

Or maybe it was a life-or-death thing, seeing as how Liam treated her.

Shelley, one of the younger maids, knocked on Spike's door. "William. Mr. Cooke asked that you see him."

Spike grumbled a few incoherent words as he got up from his small but comfortable enough bed.

_Great. Progress report-giving time. _He opened the door and the first thing he saw was Shelley fixing her hair. She quickly put her hands back down when she saw him and blushed. "Thanks," he mumbled to her while he went out of his room and closed the door behind him. His brows furrowed in confusion as to why she was standing there, staring at him like he was desert.

Shelley bit her lip as she tried to stifle a huge goofy grin. She never really got to go out or go on dates and she was so glad that the Cookes finally hired someone as hot as Spike was. "No problem," she said coyly, playing with the hem of her uniform.

_Right. _Spike rolled his eyes at the maid's attempt at flirtation. Shelley was pretty enough, had a nice enough ass, and was completely shag-worthy, but she wasn't really his type. She was too talkative, and he really didn't like chatty girls.

He walked up the stairs, glancing briefly at the closed door of the master bedroom. He wondered what she was doing that night, what she was wearing, and if she was already asleep. It was only nine in the evening and she probably wasn't asleep yet.

_Here goes._

He knocked twice and pushed the door open gently when he heard Liam's muffled voice say, "Come in".

"Excuse me, sir. Shelley said you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes. Please shut the door." Liam then gestured towards the chair before his desk and urged Spike to take a seat. Spike hesitantly walked forward and sat on the chair as Liam continued. "Nice work, William," he said. "I saw your late night 'talk' with Anne. I must say, you move fast." He laughed as he reveled at the though of his approaching triumph.

"Saw?" Spike repeated, annoyed by the bastard.

"Security cameras," Liam answered him. "I've put up about two in each room."

_Like a bloody prison._ "Each room?" he muttered.

"Yes. Even the maids' rooms," Liam winked at him. _I knew it wasn't just for security! What a horny, ass-faced ponce! _ "Anyway, that's not enough to win me my case, however."

Spike's jaw ticked in anger. What did he want? Did he want his wife to fuck him after just meeting him yesterday? God, was he a sad, sad, bastard. "Your wife's not a trollop, _sir_. It's gonna take some time," he managed to get out, his teeth clenched and his lips curled up into a forced smile as he held back the urge to lunge across the bastard's desk and snap his neck.

"Hm," Liam said, leaning forward onto his desk. "If you get the job done earlier, I'll double the amount," he sneered.

The proposition was rather tempting. And it wasn't like it'd be hard. He knew his way with women. Plus, shagging Buffy would be a dream come true. And then he could finally pay off his debts, get a nicer, less rat-infested apartment.

But he wasn't going to give in. "What if I can't do it?" he asked almost defiantly. The fact that Liam was his boss didn't mean he'd give a damn about manners and such. But for his own and Buffy's sakes, he'd rather be a little less rude however not really respectful.

The smug smile on Liam's face soon faded as his lips formed a thin line and his brows furrowed. "You signed a contract, William. I expect you to comply."

Spike heaved a heavy sigh while he thought about how much in deep shit he was. He **knew** he wasn't going to get out of that damn contract easily. "I understand, sir. But-"

"Get the job done, William. Or else." Liam didn't need to elaborate. The 'or else' was threatening enough, coming from an asshole like him. Spike should have been scared. He knew it would have been the smart thing to do: be scared. But he wasn't. He was pissed off. "You may leave now."

_Truly in deep, deep shit._

**TBC...**


	6. Birthday

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thanks to dawnofme for the awesome beta'ing.

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**Chapter 6: Birthday**

Buffy lay purposefully in her bed that morning as she listened to Liam talking about the guests, the food, and the preparations for her birthday party that night while he got dressed. She was no longer standing by the doorframe, waiting for him, wanting his love, wanting his attention. She didn't need it anymore. She didn't need him.

She was thirty. Thirty years old. Old. Really old. Too old to be stuck in a worthless, shit marriage, at least.

"Did you hear what I said?"

"Yeah. Six. Got it," she answered him absentmindedly.

She was thirty. Thirty years old. Young. Too young to be stuck in a worthless, shit marriage.

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"Happy birthday, honey," her mom, Joyce, greeted her with a hug as she, Hank and Dawn arrived that evening. It had been a while since she'd seen or even talked to her mom. She wanted to cry and tell her everything but she couldn't – she shouldn't. She held on to her mom tighter while she held back the tears she'd wanted to cry for so long.

Joyce pulled away and saw Buffy's eyes glisten. "Are you OK?" she asked, rubbing her arms up and down.

Buffy smiled weakly, bravely. "I'm fine. I'm just glad you're here."

Willow, Tara, Xander Harris, and his fiancée Anya Jenkins, and Drusilla arrived a few minutes later. Buffy wasn't looking forward to her party before, but seeing all of her friends there made her a little excited.

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Buffy thought that having her friends there would have made a difference, but apparently it wasn't so. She was bored to tears. It was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life, being her birthday and all, but she was bored out of her freaking mind. She never really liked the parties Liam threw for her. They were too formal, too bland, too unlike her. Their house would be filled with unfamiliar faces talking about business matters with Liam, some relatives, a few of her friends – well, more of a handful, really – and a bunch of waiters and caterers. The place was beautifully decorated and the food was absolutely delicious, but she would rather have had a night out at a bar or even dinner at McDonald's just as long as she was having fun. But God, she so wasn't now. She felt lonely, even though there were about fifty people in the house.

It didn't bother her anymore though. She had always felt that way since that first time Liam cheated on her and hit her. Even if she'd be with her friends, she'd still feel so distant from them. The only time she didn't feel that way was when she was with Spike and in all honesty, she would have rather spent her birthday with him. He was the only person she really wanted to see and be with that day. But she hadn't seen him all day. She had been too busy with preparations for a party that she didn't even want to have.

She sat on the sofa in the living room amongst her closest friends, distractedly listening to Xander jest about engaged life. She played with the black tube dress she was wearing, wrinkling the cloth and then straightening it out with the palm of her hands. She glanced up to the other side of the room where Joyce, Hank and Liam's mom chatted, glasses of wine in hand. She then turned her attention to another side of the room where Liam and her uncle were talking to people she didn't know. They were probably clients of the company. Liam loved using such occasions to get on the good side of clients. She grimaced at the thought and shifted her gaze, scouring the place for _the_ familiar face she had been looking for the whole night.

Her gaze instantly spotted the blond as he sauntered down the hallway, probably headed to the dirty kitchen, or his room, or the back yard. She hurriedly excused herself from the group to follow him, as she wanted nothing else but his company.

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After looking for him in the kitchen and in his room and not finding him there, she went out to the back yard and finally found him sitting alone in the gazebo. She rocked back on her heels a few times, contemplating why she looked for him in the first place and why she wanted to be with him, before deciding to go up to him like she initially wanted.

Spike heard footsteps approaching and instantly knew who it was. As creepy and stalker-y as it was, he had memorized the sound of how she walked. "Happy occasion," he said, not glancing at her, before taking a drag of his cigarette and putting it out.

"Eh," she shrugged, folding her arms across her chest and sitting a few inches away from Spike.

With a sincere smile on his face, he turned to her and greeted, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." She smiled back and turned to him, meeting his serene blue eyes. "Though I don't think this qualifies as a happy one."

Her hair was tied in a simple ponytail with a few strands draping over her angelic face. Her eyes glimmered from the dim light of the gazebo. Her smile made him forget all his problems. She was truly one of a kind. She was absolutely stunning.

"You look beautiful, ma'am," he almost whispered, still lost in her green eyes.

Buffy's heart almost leapt out from her chest at Spike's words. She barely wore make up, her dress was so simple, and she didn't even put much effort into fixing her hair and he called her beautiful. The last time she took more than an hour getting dressed, fixing her hair and putting make up on, Liam only asked her what took her so long, paying no attention to how beautiful she thought she looked. Since then, she never bothered to really pay heed to her looks. And here Spike was, telling her she was beautiful, even though she felt and looked like crap.

"Well, you always look beautiful," he added in a mutter. He glanced away from the thrall of her eyes, shifting nervously in his seat. If he had continued to drown in them, he wouldn't have been able to resist the overwhelming desire to kiss her.

Buffy thought it was best to keep her mouth shut. She wanted to tell him a lot of things, things she shouldn't really say. She wanted to tell him how much she had fallen for him only from a few days of getting to know him. She wanted to tell him she wanted him, that she wanted to be with him if only she wasn't married.

As all the emotions rushed through her long-aching heart, she found it hard to strangle the need to let it all out. She suddenly broke down and cried helplessly, face buried in her palms.

"Ma'am?"

He shifted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her to comfort her. The feel of her trembling and sobbing was utterly heart breaking that he almost wanted to cry. To top that all off, the guilt he was feeling for knowing something she needed to know and still had not told her, made him feel like shit. He wanted to tell her sometime soon, but all he could do then was comfort her. If he told her the truth right at that moment, it would have only made things worse. "Shh, pet. It's alright. Everything's going to be alright."

She touched his cheek softly and felt Spike tense from her touch, she assumed from anticipation. She blinked away the tears a few times and then pressed her lips to his. Spike screwed his eyes shut as he fought the urge to open his mouth to her, to deepen the kiss, to claim her as his with his tongue, to wrap his arms around her small body, and to explore her with his hands. It would have been wrong to do all those things. It would have been so wrong.

When she didn't feel him loosening up or even remotely wanting to kiss her back, she pulled away and stared at what seemed to be Spike's disgusted face with hurt-filled eyes. _So the tensing was __**not**__ from anticipation._ Spike opened his eyes and saw Buffy's still tear-streaked face and remorseful expression and knew exactly what she was thinking. He began to explain that it wasn't that he didn't like her and that it actually was the exact opposite, but she stood up. Her fingers lazed at her lips as she spoke regretfully. "Oh God. I'm sorry. I'm so sor-"

Spike stood up as he tried to explain. _Damn it!_ "No, Buffy."

But before he could continue, she quickly turned around and ran back into the house as fast as she could in her heels.

**TBC...**


	7. It's a Start

**Sharp Curve**

**A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews. :) Thank you so much to dawnofme for being a wonderful beta.  
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**Chapter 7: It's a Start**

Another birthday added to the most horrifying and wince-eliciting moments of her life. But this year's celebration must be in the top three. Apart from the lameness of it all, she had to end the night with forcing herself on a seemingly repulsed hot, younger – just by three years though –chauffeur. She really outdid herself this year. Kudos, Buffy; you really know how to make things suck-y.

And then she had to tell Dru that she'd love to have lunch with her the next day. Well, she certainly couldn't drive all the way there, since no one really trusted her with a car. Heck, she didn't even trust herself with a car. So that meant she had to see Spike; not just see like pass by him in the hallways, just like she readied herself for, but actually be with him, face him.

The moment she set foot in the foyer and saw the car approaching ever so slowly, she felt the heat of humiliation fill her cheeks. She felt like she was waiting in suspense for her imminent doom. She closed her eyes and held her breath unknowingly when the car pulled over in front of her. At the sound of one of the car doors opening, she fluttered her eyes open to see Spike nod and smile at her.

Aside from greeting her 'good afternoon' when he opened the door to the backseat of the car for her, he didn't really say much to her. The night before, he had talked himself through on how he shouldn't let there be awkwardness if and when they see each other. But as it turned out, practice wasn't really the same as the actually thing. He didn't even know why he was so embarrassed. There was no reason to feel that way, really. _Oh, except maybe for the fact that she thought you were repulsed by her, you git._ After minutes of prodding himself to speak, he finally cleared his throat and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Looks like it's going to rain, innit?" _The weather? Really? Well, it's a bloody start._

She glanced at him through the rear view mirror and nodded in agreement. She wanted to speak, wanted to do anything other than nod like she didn't want to talk to him when she did want to. She just couldn't speak. Or at least, she didn't want to try and speak lest she squeaked or stuttered and worsened her humiliation.

Spike figured she didn't want to talk. But he wasn't one to leave things unsorted out, especially when he needed to be able to talk to her if he planned on telling her about Liam's schemes and helping her. "I'm really sorry about last night," he said.

Buffy's cheeks immediately turned red. It was too much already that she couldn't get the damn thing out of her mind, but then he had to remind her all over again. Fortunately, they had arrived at their destination, saving her from having a seriously embarrassing conversation.

Spike cursed himself for not having the guts to talk things through with her the minute they drove off as he got out and rushed to the other side of the car.

Buffy hurriedly got out of the car and scurried past Spike who shut the door for her. She wanted to get out his sight as fast as she could, but a hand on her wrist stopped her and pulled her gently but hard enough that she backed up onto the car. She looked at Spike questioningly as he hovered in front of her, still not letting go of her wrist. The sight before her, as twisted as it was, aroused her.

"Need something, Spike?" she asked seductively, chin up and eyes darkened with want.

He then raised the black bag he was clutching with his right hand and said, "You forgot your purse."

_Crap. _Her cheeks flushed again and she ducked her head in shame, snatching the purse from Spike's hand. She wished so hard that she would disappear. All the embarrassment was too much. She then felt cool fingers on her chin, lifting it up so that her green eyes landed on blue ones. His hands moved to cup her cheeks and his thumb brushed against her luscious lips.

"I'll wait for you out here," he said in the huskiest of tones.

"Nonsense. You should join us," a woman suggested. Spike quickly turned and saw Drusilla with a knowing smile on her face.

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She hadn't imagined it that last time. There was something there. She felt it. She felt it in the way he touched her, in the way he looked at her and spoke to her. He wanted her. And she wanted him. She could tell he was hesitant though, like he was afraid of something. Maybe he was afraid Liam would beat him to a bloody pulp if he found out.

Meeting Spike somehow gave her hope and the strength to stand up against the bastard. To hell with her uncle and their company. She had suffered enough. She deserved to be happy.

_Easier said than done._

Surely, Liam would consider being the one handed divorce papers as defeat. And knowing him, well, he didn't take defeat too well. If it was only her uncle's life and her family's company on the line, things would be a little less complicated. Over the years, upon Drusilla and Willow's insistence, she had come to realize that what ever happened to her uncle due to legal matters wouldn't be her fault and that he'd deserve it. The only problem then was if Liam would really let her go without giving her a 'piece of his mind'?

"I should go back outside and leave you two alone." He stood up and smiled. "Thank you for a wonderful meal, ma'am."

Dru grinned meaningfully at Buffy as Spike excused himself out of the dining area. Buffy frowned and narrowed her eyes at her. "What?"

"Nothing." Dru gave one last teasing smile before speaking in a more serious tone. "How are things? I didn't get to talk to you much last night."

"The same," Buffy answered, smiling sadly.

"Hubby knows this lawyer who works well in cases such as yours," she said, reaching out to grasp Buffy's hand.

"I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I haven't even told my family."

"Then tell them. What are you afraid of? That they'll take his side? That they won't believe you because they love him too much?"

"Yes," she admitted, chuckling dryly. She had always been the slightly rebellious and unaccomplished child, but she knew her parents loved her dearly. She just hoped they didn't love Liam more than they did her.

"Buffy, honestly. Have more faith in people."

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Spike spent most of the afternoon pacing back and forth in the Finn's living room, deciding on when and how he should tell Buffy about everything. He was scared though that she'd feel betrayed and possibly never talk to him again, and he didn't want that.

"Spike," she called out to him from the hallway, breaking him out of his thoughts. He nodded and followed her out of the house. "I didn't take too long, did I?"

"No, ma'am."

"So we're back to calling me ma'am now?" she joked and stopped a few feet away from the car. She figured the best way to forget the whole birthday thing was to joke about it. "I cop a feel and you're all respectful again?"

The key Spike had inserted into the car's keyhole slipped out when he heard her words. He was getting really pissed off. Not at Buffy, but at himself. Buffy's constant reminding only made it worse. On top of that, he was also mad at himself for not making it extra clear that he wanted her when he shouldn't. He really shouldn't. He shouldn't. Nope. _Sod it._ He turned back to her, boldly marched up to her, grabbed her face and kissed her fiercely. He turned them around and started to walk, leading Buffy and backing her up to the car once more.

Buffy couldn't believe what was happening. They were making out outside, in broad daylight, in her husband's sister's house. Surprisingly, her desire for Spike was too intense that any qualms or hesitations didn't surface.

Spike pushed up against her, trapping her flush against his body and the car. He scrambled to get the door open with one hand without having to break their heated kiss, and after successfully doing so, he pulled Buffy off of the car to open the door.

Buffy reluctantly pulled away from his searing kiss to slide into the backseat, pulling Spike by the hand so that he slid in on top of her before crashing their lips together again.

**TBC...**

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**A/N: Getting reviews again would be awesome. :)**


	8. Feel

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thanks to dawnofme for the awesome beta and to everyone who reviewed. To those who are reading Something Borrowed and The Horizon Effect, I will be updating those soon. :)

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**Chapter 8: Feel**

Spike pulled away from her after a only a few seconds and locked eyes with Buffy, trying to convey without words how much he regretted what he had to say. "This is wrong."

Buffy answered with an indignant snort, "Do you feel the constant need to humiliate me? Is that part of the job description Liam gave you? Add more misery to my already miserable life?" She narrowed his eyes at him as she waited for his answer.

"You're married. This would be cheating, yeah?" he explained. It wasn't necessarily what he was thinking, though. He really didn't care that Buffy was married. In fact, he chose to think she wasn't married, her husband being a bastard and all. But he still wasn't honest with her, and doing whatever it was that they were about to do, with that big of a secret, would only result in him feeling guilt and regret and most likely, self - cursing. And then, that would just be the beginning. God only knew how Buffy would react to what he wanted and needed to tell her.

Cheating connoted sex – just meaningless sex – and what she wanted was much deeper than that. She'd felt alone for too long, until she met Spike, and he stopped her from plummeting into some abyss of the crazies and possibly even homicidal urges. He was like the brakes to her fast and crazy life, and meaningless sex with him wouldn't be enough. She wanted more from him, and yeah, that scared her and would probably scare the blond out of his hair if he knew. But she couldn't think of any reason not to tell him that she didn't want just sex. She wanted to tell him exactly how she felt, regardless of however he chose to deal with it. She'd never lied to him before when most of her life revolved on lies, and she wasn't going to start now.

"I just want to feel something, anything, other than pain and misery and--I want to feel like someone actually wants me." She bit her lip to stifle its uncontrollable quivering, and then she stroked his cheek gently. "Please, Spike, I…" she said, her voice breaking and tears filling and stinging her eyes. "Please," she pleaded, placing her hand at the back of his neck and another hand at his arm to pull him down to an embrace.

Spike struggled against her. He was a strong man, undoubtedly, and breaking away from her would have been easy if he wanted to, that is. But the thing was, a huge part of him didn't want to, and that was the strongest hold she had on him. As he continued to desperately try and pull away, he struggled against the tears that threatened to fall from his eyes and against the trembling of his lips, too. She looked so lost, so broken, and even though he didn't want to, he pitied her. She didn't deserve pity, though. She deserved happiness.

"Please…" she repeated her heart-wrenching pleas over and over until they soon became sobs. "I just want to feel loved." The words barely escaped her lips and her voice almost abandoned her, but she said it.

Spike swallowed hard at the gravity of the word she chose: love. The fear in her voice suggested that she expected him to be surprised or scared. True enough, he felt that way. But the thing that surprised and scared him the most was how he wasn't scared of her need for love at all, of how she wanted to feel loved, of how she wanted **his** love. The only two possible reasons for that? He was either already there or really close. He figured, though, that loving someone was impossible after just a week of knowing them and spending time with them. But whatever it was he felt for her, it had to be enough to make her feel; to make **him** feel.

Doing the right thing can wait. "Okay," he hushed, stopping his resistance and then bent back down as he wiped a tear off her cheek with his thumb. "Okay," he repeated and finally placed his lips on hers once more.

Spike couldn't remember being this gentle before, but it seemed that he couldn't help it. Because of Buffy's fragility, worshiping and pleasuring her was warranted and deserved.

"I do want you," he mumbled to her soft lips. "Right from the moment I first saw you," he finished, trailing hot kisses down her neck. He stopped when he felt a tear drop to his cheek and pulled back again to smile at her softly. "It's alright, love," he comforted her as he kissed her tear-streaked cheek and her swollen, even more luscious, lips. He then brushed his lips over her collarbone before slipping one strap of her dress off her shoulder. She ran her hands over his shoulders, at the same time ridding him of his coat. He let his hand travel over her leg, hiking her dress up and snapping the thin fabric that held her thong together. When she gasped as the elastic flicked her skin, Spike delved his tongue in her mouth again and tasted every bit of her once more. She was rightly addictive, he decided. He then kissed his way down to her bosom, pulling down the other strap of her dress as he did.

She moved her arms out of the straps, and he pulled the top of her dress down, baring her breasts to him for the first time. His groin tightened and his heart pounded even more from the sight of her. He gazed up at her through his lashes and a shiver ran through him; her eyes were barely open, her mouth slightly parted as she drew in much needed breath. Her lips were red and swollen, and her hair was in a messy ponytail. Fucking gorgeous, still. He then sucked and nibbled on one of her nipples while he kneaded her other breast with his hand. She tangled her fingers in his hair as she moaned and arched up to him, trying to keep calm and trying not to cum just from all the sensations she hadn't felt in years.

It had been three years since any man had touched her and she'd forgotten how amazing it felt.

He kneeled before her, eyes still glazed over with desire and the willingness to make her feel, and ducking his head so it didn't hit the ceiling of the car. She didn't take her eyes off him for even a second as she bent her knees to make room for him. She watched him undo his belt buckle and unzip his pants; the sight weirdly pooling more heat between her legs. He then gripped her ankles and raised her legs up until her feet could touch the ceiling of the car. He then moved forward, his erection grazing over her wet sex and making her whimper in anticipation. He then hooked her legs over his shoulders and pushed inside of her until he felt his full length inside of her.

"Fuck," he gasped when he felt how tight she was. Buffy moaned loudly. Three years, she thought. She was like a virgin, felt like one, even if she had slept with a few guys before Liam. It was as if Spike was the first one to be inside her, and it felt so good--too good that she felt like she was about to cum right at that moment.

Then he started to pump into her, and she was gone. She couldn't think anymore and at some point, might have forgotten how to breathe. She gasped and moaned, pulsing her hips up to meet his thrusts as she was close to her first _real_ orgasm in years.

Spike panted heavily as he grabbed her hips and thrust harder and faster. _How can I be a marathon man when she's this bloody tight? _"Oh God," she groaned and arched her back, every nerve in her body feeling and telling her how close to ecstasy she was.

He wanted to slow down; afraid that if he continued with his quick pace that she'd be left hanging. But apparently, she was already there. She reached up to his arms and held on to him, and it would have hurt that she was almost cutting off his circulation if he wasn't so bloody lost in the feeling of her gripping his erection. "Spike!" she screamed as the waves of rapture coursed through her body.

And just from the look on her face, full of bliss and the way she screamed his name, he came with one hard thrust. He then continued with slow, hard thrusts as he rode out his orgasm.

As soon as Buffy regained coherent thought and opened her eyes, she saw the troubled look on Spike's face as he slipped out of her. "What?" she asked while she sat up.

He pulled away to the other side of the car and rested his back on the door. "Protection… I didn't…"

"I-It's okay. I'm on the pill," she said, pulling the straps of her dress back up her shoulders.

A whisper of "okay" from Spike followed silence.

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Buffy sat and ate, alone, at the end of the dining table. She put her elbows on the table and buried her face in her palms as she recalled earlier events.

"Sorry I missed dinner," Liam said as he walked into the dining area. She hastily snapped her head up and saw Liam with the widest of smiles. "And that looks delicious, too. Too bad I ate already," he chuckled.

Buffy raised a brow at Liam's unusual attitude. Normally, when he arrived, he would go straight up to his office and do whatever it is he does in there. "You're awfully chipper," she said at the same time as the swinging door that led to the kitchen swung open.

"Yes, well, it was a very good day." And then he winked at Spike who had just come in from the kitchen. "And thank you, William. Now, if anyone needs me, I'll be in my office." He waved at the two, still with a smug smile on his face, gave one final wink at William and then headed out of the room.

Buffy turned to Spike who was standing behind her with shock painted across his face. "What was that about?"

Spike's Adam's apple bobbed up and down in nervousness while he thought of the reasons why Liam thanked him. _Could he finally have the evidence he needed? Was there a camera in the car? Is having a camera in a car even possible? Bleeding, buggering hell._

"I don't know, do I?" he answered testily, because his heart was pounding like crazy.

Buffy blinked, stared at him for a good five seconds and turned back to her food as he walked past her and out to the hall. He was lying; she could tell. Buffy blinked back the tears and shook her head as she congratulated herself for having the best taste in men.

**TBC...**


	9. Promises

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thanks again to dawnofme for all her wonderful suggestions. Voting has started for the cradle of humanity awards: http/ / www. cradle-of-humanity .de .vu / 'In Harm's Way' (one of my favorite fics) by dawnofme is nominated there for the special round 2 vampiric section best episodic rewrite. (she doesn't know about this pimping. :D) This story is also nominated for best angst. hint hint not that I'm saying you should vote for me... I particularly love 'Promised' by Dorians Kitten and 'Something Real' by dampersandspoons. These two fics are archived at The Spuffy Realm. Check those out because they're awesome fics (and Something Real is nominated for best angst too). Okay, enough talk.

**Chapter 9: Promises**

_Someone tell me this isn't happening. _

Spike dragged his feet up the stairs, gripping the handrails so hard that his knuckles turned white, his heart pounding even faster with every step as he neared the devil's office. He dreaded the thought that Liam had already gotten what he needed before he had the time and the courage to tell Buffy about everything.

"Why did you thank me just then?" Spike went straight to the point the minute he entered Liam's office.

Liam glanced up from the design plan he was looking over. "Well, you're really not that smart, are you Willie? When I said I had a camera in every room, you didn't think I'd have one in the gazebo?"

_The gazebo isn't a room, you pillock. _"A-and?"

Liam pulled a drawer open, retrieved something and then threw it on his desk. Spike drew closer to get a better view of what it was. He cleared his throat and swallowed the bile that seemed to choke him when he saw that it was a photograph of him and Buffy kissing. "And congratulations. I guess I should be giving you that advance payment. Though it would have been better if you fucked her," he chuckled.

Spike flinched guiltily at Liam's words. "B-but that wasn't what you think it was," he explained.

Liam raised an eyebrow suspiciously. If William had no reservations or hesitations about what he was supposed to do, then certainly he wouldn't be denying that he had done the job. "I think it was pretty clear. She kissed you."

"Actually, I kissed her," Spike blurted out, thinking that it would have made a difference to Liam. "A-and she pulled away; ran, even."

Something was definitely off, Liam thought. But he was too happy at the moment to figure out what it was. "It doesn't matter. The footage shows you two kissing. That is still considered cheating."

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Spike had a hard time going to sleep. He spent the first few hours thrashing the back of his head against the wall as he sat on the bed, back resting against the headboard, staring at the wad of cash Liam had given him. And he had taken it, however contemptuously. And then Liam had asked him if he would like to stay until everything was 'settled' and he said he'd think about it. Really, it was up to Buffy. If she wanted him to stay then he'd stay; if she wanted him to leave, he'd still stay. If she wanted to get out of that damn house then he'd go with her.

The next couple of hours, he began to ready himself for the talk he needed to have with Buffy. He practiced on the mirror, wrote out a few lines, imagined how it would go and how she would react, and contemplated whether she'd slap him, fire him, or have hot make up sex after a fight.

As expected, he had a throbbing headache in the morning from all the moping, head thrashing, almost crying, and of course the no sleep part.

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Right after Liam had left for work, Buffy went to Spike's room. She had also spent the night awake, thinking about Spike and planning something she'd never done before. But she neither felt tired nor sleepy. Instead, she was excited.

"I need you to take me here," she said as she handed him a piece of paper with an address written on it.

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Spike blinked twice as he stared at where she'd had him take her. "This is a motel," he said, jaw almost dropped.

"Uh huh." She smiled widely and waited patiently for the rest of his reaction.

"This is a motel," he repeated, still agape and still utterly in shock.

The smile on Buffy's face disappeared as she sank back and fiddled with the lock on her purse, gauging what Spike must be thinking. "I-If you don't want to, it's okay. I'm just… silly," she chuckled sheepishly and ducked her head. _Now he thinks I'm a ho-bag._

He reached for her hand and squeezed it lightly. "Of course I want to," he said in the huskiest of tones. She brought her head back up and beamed as Spike drove into the parking lot.

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Spike went in first, followed by Buffy who, after shutting the door behind her, stood still by the door and watched as Spike shrugged his coat off and laid it out on the bed. Spike then turned to her and saw how nervous she was.

"Hey," he soothed her. "You okay?" he asked her with a smile, standing at the end of the bed a few feet from where she stood primly.

"Yeah, I… I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to put you on the spot," she got out, finally voicing the concern that had been bothering her the moment she stepped out of the car.

Spike drew slowly closer until he was only mere inches from her. He then cupped her cheek, meeting her gaze as he lifted her face up to look at him. "Trust me, love, you didn't."

The feel of Spike's cool hand on her skin immediately sent tingles to her core. He slowly bent down and placed a soft kiss on her lips. A few seconds into the tender kiss, it grew hungrier.

She snaked her arms around his neck, resting her hands at the back of his neck, tangling her fingers in his soft blond hair. He placed his hands to the small of her back, tightening his hold on her more as he deepened his kiss. She then hoisted herself up on him, wrapped her legs around his waist and rubbed against him, making him moan deep in his throat. He moved his hands on her firm ass, mostly to press her on his tightened groin harder, but also for support. He moved forward and pinned her to the door, involuntarily pushing up into her.

"This is wrong," she breathed when he pulled away for air for a brief second.

"So wrong," he panted and moved to a nearby desk. He set her on the desk so that she sat on the edge and was settled between her thighs, his hands sneaking under her skirt and caressing them. The fact that Buffy liked wearing skirts was bloody fantastic. He then cleared the desk, shoving the ashtray, remote control, motel menu and telephone off it, not caring that he could have broken them. He gently pushed her shoulders, laying her back on the desk. He then pulled her a bit until her ass was right at the edge of the desk. He took her heels off, slowly slid her skirt down along with her knickers, kneeled on the floor so he was face to face with her slick folds and then set her feet on his shoulders. The only thing Buffy could do was bite her lip from exhilaration and wait for him to touch her.

When she felt the tip of his tongue brush against her clit, her breath caught and she scrambled for something to hold on to. When she couldn't grab onto anything else, she finally settled for her thighs. She then felt his fingers run over her folds before parting them and licking her ever so slowly until he reached her sensitive nub again, his tongue delving a bit into her hole. She moaned his name, her nails digging onto her skin, her hips bucking into his mouth, as the torture became unbearable.

Spike wanted to pleasure her but she was so bloody addictive that the bulge in his jeans became too painful. He then stood up and hooked his fingers beneath his slacks, asking Buffy with his eyes if he could. She didn't protest; she wanted him inside her too.

He reached for his back pocket and pulled out his wallet, which he threw at Buffy playfully. She sat up, caught it, and knowing exactly what he wanted her to do, opened it and searched for a condom as Spike unzipped his pants.

After he got out of his ridiculously tight pants, Buffy unbuttoned his polo shirt and pushed it off him. After which she pulled her blouse off and wrapped her naked self around the equally naked Spike.

"Promise me whatever happens you'll be mine," he hushed, his cock teasing her entrance. "Promise me."

"I promise," she gasped as his member stretched her once again.

0101010

They lay on the bed, a tangle of limbs. Buffy lay on top of Spike, her head resting on his chest as it rose and fell and her legs wrapped around his. Spike stroked her hair affectionately with one hand and held one of her hands to his chest with the other, kissing the top of her head from time to time.

"If I asked you to runaway with me, would you do it?"

"If I'm divorced by that time," she laughed lightly.

Spike winced, guilt finally taking over that he finally blurted out, "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" she asked him, not looking up to see how much fear there was in his eyes. When he took too long to answer, she propped herself up to face him. "Spike?"

He sighed heavily and thought that it was best to get it over with. Buffy deserved to know the truth. "It's about my job."

**TBC...**

A/N: So...? Did you like it? :D


	10. Fixing Things

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Reviews make me happy! :D Thanks again to dawnofme for the awesome betaing.

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**Chapter 10: Fixing Things  
**

"It's about my job," Spike managed to say.

Buffy, seeing the seriousness in his face, moved off and sat beside him. "What about it?"

Spike sat up, his eyes evading hers in nervousness. "Just remember the promise you made, okay, pet?" he finally said, locking eyes with her.

"Spike, just say it," she chuckled nervously. "You're freaking me out."

Spike exhaled deeply when he thought that sugar coating or beating about the bush wasn't needed. "When I interviewed for the chauffeuring job, Liam… He made a proposition." He paused while he gauged Buffy's reaction. Her brows furrowed, her lips pursed, while she waited intently for him to continue. "H-he wanted someone to tempt you." Well, maybe a little sugar coating would help.

"Tempt me?" she repeated, her inquiring eyes following his as he lowered them. He refrained from further explaining what he meant, hoping that she wouldn't be as mad if she didn't hear the words right from his gob. But when she hurriedly wrapped herself with the covers and got off the bed, he knew she knew exactly what his job description was.

Buffy brought a hand up to her mouth and closed her eyes. "Oh my…"

"Buffy…"

She opened her eyes, fixating them on the blue ones that stared back at her regretfully. "So that's what this is? A 'job'?"

Betrayed did not even begin to explain how she felt. She grabbed the clothes that were splayed over the table where they'd first had sex that afternoon and threw the ones that were his at him. She started to get dressed, first pulling on her panties and her skirt quickly, disgusted in the fact that she let him touch her – no, violate her. And then she figured Liam would have had to keep an eye on them in some way while Spike, if that was even his real name, carried out their twisted plan, and she felt violated even more. "You…" she grunted as she pulled her blouse over her head. "You are a fucking bastard."

Spike shifted towards the side of the bed and pulled on his pants as he spoke. "S'not like that anymore. I'm telling you this 'cause I want to fix things." He stood up and grabbed her forearms, forcing her to look at him through her glistening eyes. "Yesterday didn't happen because I had to but because I wanted it to. I don't even care about that bloody contract anymore. It happened because I want you, Buffy. I want to be with you."

"Bullshit," she spat as she jerked her arms away from his grip. She paced across the room, arms wrapped around herself protectively.

"You're not even listening to me." He watched her move back and forth in front of him.

She scoffed at how ridiculous it was that he wanted her to listen to him right after he told her he had been lying to him. "Why should I?" she snapped as she stopped in front of him.

He ducked his head, unable to come up with anything to convince her. "I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? You're sorry?" she snorted. "It's not that simple, _Spike._"

Spike walked back to the bed and grabbed his polo shirt. He then slipped it on and began buttoning it up. "I don't know what the big deal is. Aren't you glad that you'll finally get away from him? He doesn't deserve you."

"It's about what's right. What you, both of you, did was wrong. Right now, I really don't care what that conniving son of a bitch gets out of this little hoax he pulled. But the fact that you…" she trailed off. "You betrayed me." She couldn't help but wonder why she thought it hurt more than it should have.

"I didn't even know you when I signed that damn contract," he muttered.

"And that makes it okay?"

"No, that's not…" he sighed exasperatedly. "I needed the money, Buffy. I was desperate."

"It's always about money," she whispered.

"Well that's rich coming from you," he chuckled dryly as he pulled on his pants. "You stayed with him for three years because, what, you loved him? He beats the hell out of you and constantly cheats on you! The only reason why you're still with him is because he's filthy rich," he snorted.

Fine. He had no idea about what went on in her family's business, but that didn't make it okay for him to talk about her like that especially after what she'd just found out. "Don't you dare insinuate that I am anything like the two of you. You know nothing about me."

"Then a bloody stupid martyr, you are."

"I stayed with him for the sake of my family. But I guess you wouldn't understand that since you don't have one," she retorted, thinking none of the things he told her about him were true.

Spike looked so hurt that Buffy almost wanted to take what she said back if she wasn't so angry at him. "I'll drive you home." He walked back to the bed and grabbed his coat.

"I can drive myself," she mumbled and then spun around when she felt tears rimming her eyes.

Spike stared at her and waited for Buffy to change her mind. But she didn't. And he understood, though. "Fine," he finally said softly, putting his hands up in surrender.

0101010

She didn't drive herself home. She couldn't have driven when she was completely awake, sober and happy; what more that she was upset? So she called Gary, Liam's chauffeur, and had asked him to get on a cab immediately and go to the motel at which they had stayed. Even though she was ashamed, she was just thankful that Gary was an old man who did not gossip.

When they had arrived home in the late afternoon, she immediately locked herself in the master bedroom. She felt so humiliated and hurt that she didn't want anybody seeing her, even though they had no idea about what had been going on.

She lay in bed for the rest of the day, crying endlessly in anger and humiliation, until she finally drifted to sleep.

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Buffy didn't know why, of all the places in the house, she had to drink her tea in the dirty kitchen. She could have drunk her tea in the dining area, or in the living room, or in the gazebo. But nope; it had to be in the kitchen where Spike's room just happened to be adjacent to.

He came out of his room, not wearing his usual polo shirt and slacks. Instead, he was wearing a light blue shirt that clung to his well-muscled pecks and arms lightly. She instantly spotted the bag that was slung over his shoulder and she got off the stool _to push him out of the house as soon as possible and not to stop him_. "You going?"

"Uhm…" He glanced at the duffel bag before glancing back at her. "Yeah. Handed in my resignation to Mr. Cooke last night. I would have told you but-"

"Good," she broke him off, boring her eyes into his to show him that she meant it, or at least tried to. She then went on to explain why she was there in the first place. "I-I was waiting for you today to tell you just that. I would have told you last night but I fell asleep early." She flashed him with an obviously fake smile before staring at the counter. _Defensive much? _

He pursed his lips and nodded. He deserved the hostility and the anger, and he couldn't blame her for being and feeling that way. She watched him through the corner of her eyes while he took a few steps toward her. She stepped back, fearing that her defenses were about to crash down.

He then hesitated a bit before taking her arm and turning her to face him. He gazed into her eyes which were then softer and whispered, "Come with me."

_TBC..._

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A/N: Please review. :)


	11. Moving On

**Sharp Curve**

A/N: Thanks, as usual, to dawnofme for the wonderful beta work.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Moving On**

It was only the day before that he'd told himself that if Buffy chose to ask him to leave that he'd still stay. But after how she'd reacted, and after the things they've said, he'd acted on pure impulse to get the hell out of there. But at that moment, while his eyes were trained on hers, he knew he'd made a mistake to quit his job and seemingly quit her. Though maybe leaving was for the best - if only she'd leave with him.

"Come with me." His voice was hoarse, the fear and the need making it tremble, and he made no attempt to hide it. He was begging her to leave everything behind – for him – and the way he said it, the way his eyes glistened, was almost enough to make her give in and go with him.

And for a moment she wanted to, but she couldn't forgive him just yet. "No," she got out as firmly as she could though her hands were shaking.

Spike let go of her arms and backed away, nodding in acceptance as he did. She turned away from him and wound her fingers around the mug, staring straight at the wall in front of her. Somehow, she felt as if she had made the wrong decision.

He then pulled a piece of paper out of his duffel bag and carefully placed it on the counter top before her. She ignored him completely; she took a small sip of her tea, mindful that her eyes would not wander to what he had placed in front of her or to his face, which she knew would just make things harder.

"I'm staying over at a friend's but if you need anything..." He stopped in mid sentence when Buffy turned her head a little further from him. At the gesture, Spike made his way out of the kitchen.

Buffy momentarily stood still, eyes still focused on the blank wall, fearing that if she moved, she'd go after him, before finally, she lowered her eyes to the note Spike had left. She picked it up and fiddled with it as she decided to open it or not. She went with the latter, folding the note once over and then slipping it into her back pocket.

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"This is a nice surprise," Joyce said as she placed a hand to Buffy's back and accompanied her into their house. "It's been a while since you've been here."

"I actually have something to tell you," she said slowly as she made her way into the living room with Joyce right behind her.

"What is it, sweetheart?"

"I think we should sit down first," she murmured, sitting down on the sofa, her eyes planted on her hands to avoid her mom's worried stare.

"Is everything okay?"

Buffy glanced up at her mom through her lashes and saw a glint of worry in Joyce's eyes, and she hurriedly continued on to explain. "Yes. I mean, no. I mean…" She brought her face up and righted herself, locking eyes with her mother as she found the courage to tell her everything. "I should have told you this a long time ago."

Joyce leaned forward, reached out for Buffy's hand, and then squeezed it reassuringly. "You know you can tell me anything."

"I do now," she smiled weakly and drew in a deep breath. "It's about Liam."

"What about him?"

"He… He cheated on me," she said softly.

"Oh, honey," Joyce cooed and pulled her for a tentative hug. "Is it over between them?"

"Well…"

"Because some marriages survive-"

"No, mom," Buffy cut her off firmly when she felt the reaction she had feared and expected was coming. "He had been cheating on me. Like with every thing that moves – or has a hole." Joyce remained silent, her optimistic expression turning to one of anger as she pursed her lips. "A-and he has hit me. More than once," she said and looked away from her mother. "So I was kinda hoping I could stay here, just temporarily of course."

Joyce anger-filled eyes softened as she smiled sympathetically at her daughter. "You can stay here as long as you'd like." She then hastily stood up, her face one of determination, and marched to a nearby desk, picking up the cordless phone and then dialing.

"Mom, what are you doing?"

"I'm calling your father," she said, the phone on her ear.

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"Come on Danny, I haven't even been gone for two weeks," Spike almost begged the owner of the bar where he used to work for his job back.

"I'm sorry, Will, but I had to hire someone else. It's been packed these past few couple of nights."

"So you need all the help you can get, right?" He beamed and wiggled his eyebrows at him.

"I'm really sorry." Danny shrugged and continued to wipe the counter clean.

"Yeah. Thanks anyway," he mumbled, seemingly affronted. He gave Danny a slight smile and walked away. He began to regret returning everything Liam had paid him for his 'job', during his impulsive resignation, since they didn't even pay him for his chauffeuring services, making him not only broke and indebted but now also unemployed.

0101010

Buffy sat at the backseat of a cab; in her hand was the letter Spike had left for her. She had read it after she had settled in her old room, read how sorry he was about everything and how he had returned every cent to Liam; _not that it mattered_, he wrote. She read how happy he was that he had met her and how much he had fallen for her in just a span of a few days.

_The usual cheesy stuff, except with sweet, heart-melting words, _Buffy thought.

At the bottom of the very lengthy letter, was the address at which he would be staying and his phone number.

She folded the paper in such a way that the address was the only thing that could be seen. She moved forward and showed the address to the cab driver.

"Could you please take me here? Thank you."

She really didn't plan on looking for him when she'd hastily packed her things that morning. All she wanted to do was leave, move on and tell her mom everything. But having read Spike's letter made her change her mind about him, and about everything else. The man had a way with words.

As the cab drove off, her heart began to race.

0101010

Her hand was raised, her fist was clenched, and all she had to do was move it forward a bit and do that a couple of times over then she'd be knocking. However, it wasn't as easy as she had hoped. She brought her hand back down in frustration. "Just knock for Pete's sake," she mumbled under her breath and finally knocked twice on the mahogany door.

After a few seconds, a beautiful brunette opened the door wearing only what seemed to be a man's huge shirt. "Can I help you?"

"Uhm…" Buffy started, her first thought being the girl was wicked hot. Certainly, Spike wasn't staying with a hot brunette who doesn't even know how to put on a robe. "I think I've got the wrong place. I'm looking for William Pratt."

The girl laughed softly at the use of Spike's full, very oldie sounding name. "Spike's not here right now. Went out a couple of hours ago. You could stay and wait for him. I'm sure he'll be back soon," the brunette smiled and opened the door further.

Buffy's second thought? Spike had lied to her _again_. Hopefully, though, she really was just a friend; preferably a gay one. Still, the thought of Spike staying with a girl, regardless of sexual preference, just made her feel completely jealous. She also wondered if she was his girlfriend, or possibly, wife, who he had failed to mention just like the scam he and Liam pulled on her. She could also be an ex who turned gay and then who just happened to remain good friends with him. Whoever the girl was, she wasn't sticking around to find out or hear Spike's explanation to her again. "That's okay. I think I'm just going to go."

"Who would I say was looking for him?"

"It's really not important so… Bye." She waved and when she saw the girl open her mouth to say something, she hurriedly made her way down the hallway and into the elevator.

0101010

"How was the job hunting?" Faith glanced up from the channel surfing she had been doing when Spike came into the apartment.

"Eh." Spike shrugged, plopping down on the sofa beside the brunette, and then sighed heavily.

"That bad huh? Man, that sucks." Spike just nodded silently in response at the girl's attempt at comfort. "Well I better leave you to get some rest." She stood up from the sofa and took a few steps forward before Spike called out to her.

"Hey, Faith?" She spun around to face the humbled blond. "Thanks for letting me stay."

"Don't thank me. I'm not the one who begged you to stay here like a sissy."

"True, true." Spike chuckled. "But thanks for not kicking me out," he said genuinely.

"You can sleep on our couch anytime, blondie."

Spike leaned back on the couch, resting his head as one thing plagued his thoughts: Buffy. It had been exactly five days since he had left, and she had not called or even texted him or made any other gesture to tell him she still wanted him in her life.

He figured it was best to move on.


	12. Don't Tell Me

A/N: Thanks to dawnofme for the beta read and the suggestions. I decided to post another chapter because I might not be able to post for two weeks. I'll try though. :)

**Sharp Curve**

**Chapter 12: Don't Tell Me  
**

She shouldn't. She just shouldn't.

She'd spent the past five days refraining from opening her phone because she knew that Liam would call her, and that was one phone call she'd rather not take. She'd been itching to do so though, just so she could check if Spike had messaged or called her, and she really needed to know since she didn't want to be the one to call. He should be the one begging for her forgiveness and for them to meet up, and not the other way around. She therefore shouldn't have gone to his supposed friend's place in the first place.

Finally persuading herself to turn her phone on, she sat up anxiously on her bed and began to check her messages. There were tons of messages, none of which were from Spike, however. All of them were from Liam. Most of them saying he needed to talk to her. Some of them just swearing and threats.

Panic stricken, fear ran through her entire body. Liam really wasn't the kind of man to piss off and even though he wouldn't be able to touch her while she was at her parent's house, the fear was still there.

She hastily deleted all of her messages and threw her phone carelessly onto the bed as she lay back down. Disenchantment replaced fear when it dawned on her that Spike had not called. Assuming the woman told him about her visit, he would have called if he really wanted to be with her; assuming too, of course, that the woman wasn't his girlfriend or wife or ex-girlfriend or ex-wife.

She pulled the pillow from under her head in a fit of frustration and tossed it to nowhere in particular. Everything was so hard, so complicated and then Spike found a way to make it worse – by breaking her heart all over again.

She rolled over to her side and grabbed the other pillow, placing it under her head and closing her eyes as she did. Soon after, she dozed off.

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Spike glanced over at the wall clock whose tic-tock-ing through the deathly silence of the place almost drove him mad. Fortunately, some horns blaring and some people talking loudly occasionally interrupted the silence.

It was two o'clock in the morning and he was still wide awake. The past few nights had been grueling; much more than the days have been. He'd be up all night, thinking things through, wondering and regretting why he did the things he did, and it was just tiring. And then, he'd wake up early in the morning, after having just about an hour or two of sleep, to look for work.

He'd never been more miserable in his entire life.

It wasn't the fact that he did something as horrible as associating himself with someone like Liam, but it was the fact that he did something horrible to _one hell of a woman; _one he was really starting to fall for.

The ringing of her phone startled Buffy awake. She hurriedly reached for her phone and answered it without even checking who the caller was.

"Yeah," she rasped, eyes still partially closed.

"I got fired," was the stern response.

Her eyes shot open and she sat up. "Liam?"

"Your uncle fired me! And your dad _threatened_ to put me to jail. What the fucking hell did you tell them?"

Her mouth felt dry and her heart raced. Some part of her was hurt that he didn't even bother to ask where she was; that he didn't even care she was gone. She'd stayed with him for years and all he cared about was his job and his money. Another part of her was scared again. Liam was clearly enraged and knowing him, he wouldn't just let things go.

"Anne!"

Buffy panicked, quickly hung up and turned her phone off.

_Way to start the day._

0101010

Spike sat alone at the kitchen table with a plate of bacon and eggs on the table before him. He barely got any sleep; the different ways Buffy had looked at him, had played in his thoughts and kept him up all night. He had decided to move on and was determined to do just that, but things like that don't happen overnight. It would take time, especially with all that guilt hanging over his head.

"Morning."

Spike turned to Robin who had just woken up and had just come out of his and Faith's room.

"Hey. Cooked you guys some breakfast," Spike said, gesturing at the stove with his head.

Robin strode over to the kitchen, took a plate and took some bacon from the frying pan. "Thanks, man. You know you don't have to do that every morning."

"It's the least I can do," he said with a shrug. "Didn't catch you last night," he said hesitantly, gauging his friend's reaction – whether it would be a defensive or guilty one. Robin coming home really late had him worried. He was friends with both him and Faith and if anything happened between them, he wouldn't know whose side to take.

"Came in late," Robin answered with indifference as he sat down beside Spike and began to eat the strips of bacon.

"Or early," Spike said slowly, giving Robin a meaningful look. "Faith really loves you."

Robin immediately got what Spike was trying to say and shook his head. "It's not what you think." He leaned closer to Spike and whispered, "I've been trying to do overtime for some extra cash. Plan on popping the question soon, and I can't do that without a ring."

Spike lowered his head sheepishly for even thinking such a thing. He should have known better, that Robin would never cheat. "Oh God, I'm so sorry for thinking…"

"That's okay."

"So proposing, huh?"

"It seems right, you know? We've been together for four years now, and I really do love her.

Plus, she's got a smokin' bod," he kidded, nodding his head and biting his lip in approval.

Spike chuckled and nodded, too. "Yeah, I noticed."

"You can't have her. She's mine."

"All yours, mate," Spike quipped again, slightly raising his hands as if in surrender. They laughed for a moment before Spike sighed and continued seriously, "I'm kind of smitten with someone else anyway."

"Don't tell me it's your boss," Robin stated incredulously and Spike shifted uncomfortably. His friends had no idea what he signed up for, and he felt uneasy talking about anything related to Buffy with them. "It is, isn't it?"

"It's not like that. She's different. Kinda bitchy sometimes, but she's nice."

"'Different'? Oh, you got it bad. You've never called anyone 'different' since Cecily. Is that why you quit?"

Spike didn't know what to say. Luckily, Faith sauntered into the kitchen. "Who are you guys talking about?"

"Spike's hot boss," Robin teased.

"Ooh, William's been getting his naughty on?" Faith hit him playfully with the back of her hand on his back as she walked behind him and sat on the other chair beside him.

Spike glared at Faith. "See, when you put naughty and William in the same sentence, it just sounds naughtier."

"You're changing the subject," Robin said.

"Fine! I like my boss – or my ex-boss. Case closed."

"I bet she's a brunette," Faith smiled at her boyfriend who agreed.

"Nope. She's blonde."

"Blonde?" The smile on Faith's features slowly faded when she realized just who the blonde girl was. "Shit. I'm sorry, man. I totally forgot."

"What?"

"There was this chick looking for you the other night."

"_What?_"

0101010

"Pick up, pick up, pick up," Spike murmured as he anxiously drummed his fingers on the table. He'd been trying to get a hold of Buffy through her cell phone for the past hour or so, and he knew it was either turned off or out of coverage area. He was hoping though that after about ten or twenty calls it would ring. "Damn it."

Spike leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his palms. He needed to see her, talk to her. He needed to do something other than sit about and wait till she turned her God damned phone on.

"Faith, I'm going out."

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"Thanks for coming along, Will. I really appreciate it."

"It's really no biggie," Willow beamed, wrapping her arms around Buffy's arm as they walked. "It's been a while since we did something together, and I missed you."

"I bet talking to a lawyer wasn't your idea of a get together."

"I'll take what I can have. Besides, there was also delicious lunch," Willow giggled.

Turning to the familiar building to her right, Buffy stopped walking and pulled Willow to a halt. "Wait! We can't pass by here."

"Why not?"

"This is where Spike's staying," she said in a hushed tone as if he'd hear her.

Willow looked at her questioningly. "The chauffeur?"

Buffy chuckled nervously. Her friends had no idea what had been going on with her and Spike, and she really didn't know how to tell them. "I-It's kind of a long story-"

But her nervous rambling was cut short when she heard a familiar voice call out to her.

"Buffy?"

**TBC...**


	13. Trust

**Sharp Curve**

**Beta: dawnofme**

**A/N: Sorry for the massive delay. I hope someone's still with me and this story.  
**

**Chapter 13**

Buffy's first thought was to run when she saw Spike. Somehow, she managed to stand still, smile as he walked over to them and introduced him and Willow to each other while still holding on to her best friend's hand in a deathly grip.

Willow guessed that there was something going on between the two. Spike's hands twitched and he watched Buffy with big, puppy dog eyes, but Buffy tugged on her hand and held on much too tightly. Being the good friend that she was, she figured they needed to sort things out – whatever it was. So she decided to tell Buffy she was heading on home, to which Buffy responded with a widening of her eyes and a vigorous shaking of her head.

"I need to run some errands, Buf."

Spike gave Willow a grateful smile while Buffy gave her a pointed look and said, "You told me you had nothing to do today."

"Something came up," Willow said with a smile as she hailed for a cab.

Buffy chastised Willow with her eyes and a stern, "Will" as her best friend got into the backseat of the taxi that pulled over.

Spike wasn't stupid. He could tell that she didn't want to talk to him. But that wasn't going to stop him.

He thought that he'd never see her again and he'd be damned if he'd passed up this opportunity to talk to her.

"Bye, you two. Have fun," Willow said as she waved goodbye.

Buffy looked on at the taxi as it drove off, still glaring at it as if her best friend could still see her. She then took a deep breath and uneasily glanced at Spike. His hope-filled eyes seemed to pierce right through her. She spun around and began to walk away from him, with no intention of leaving him though. She just wanted to be _not_ standing there all uncomfortable while he watched her.

Spike dashed to her side and walked with her. "How've you been?" he asked cautiously, tucking his hands into his pockets in bashfulness. He was expecting nothing more than a short 'okay' and he figured he shouldn't even bother to ask, but he had to start a conversation somewhere.

Buffy told herself she might never see him again if she kept acting that way. So she forced herself to forget every humiliating experience involving him and began to show interest in his company. "I'm good. I, uh, finally left Liam. I've been staying with my parents since you left, actually."

Spike straightened, finally relaxing. "That's great, Buffy," he said and smiled his approval. She gave him a wry smile and he figured his comment must have seemed stupid. Things must have been hard for her and that didn't exactly make things great. He only meant though that she was better off. "I-I mean, obviously, a marriage ending isn't great but..."

She laughed inwardly, assuring him that she understood what he'd meant and assuring him even more that she was glad she'd run into him. "How about you? What's been going on with you?"

"Absolutely nothing," he said with a wave of his hand. "I've been applying for jobs but so far, none of them have given me a call."

She gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm really sorry you had to leave. Which reminds me; we didn't even pay you."

"Really, love, I should be the one apologizing."

"If you want, I could give you your pay," she offered. "You've earned it."

Spike chuckled dryly and muttered, "I highly doubt that. After all the trouble I've caused you."

"Spike, believe me, things were already pretty messed up even before you came into the picture," she defended.

Spike lowered his eyes. "Well, I do need the money..."

"Okay, then," Buffy said gladly as they continued walking. She then ducked her head and asked what she had wanted to ask in the first place. "How are you and..."

Spike quirked an eyebrow as he lifted his gaze from the pavement to her. "And?"

Buffy laughed shyly as she remembered her encounter with the woman Spike had been staying with. "A few days ago, I went by the address you gave me and I met--"

If it was Robin whom she had met, she certainly wouldn't be acting the way she was. "Faith?" he asked.

Buffy nodded and ducked her head again, hiding the hint of jealousy she knew was in her eyes. "She seems... nice." _And slutty._

Having realized what she was thinking, Spike began to explain even though he liked the idea of her being jealous. "Her _boyfriend_'s one of my best mates, and I've known them both since I moved here."

"Oh," she said as her face lit up.

"When I told them about losing my new job and having no place to stay, Robin, Faith's boyfriend, insisted that I stay with them. He's a nice bloke. We can go back to their place so you can meet them and we can talk more. I'm sure they won't mind."

* * *

"Back," Spike said as he opened the door and gestured at Buffy to come in. "Faith?" he called out again. When he got no answer, he turned to Buffy. "Huh. I guess she must've left."

"Oh," Buffy mouthed, standing awfully still by the door. She smiled back at him uneasily. She couldn't help but think he brought her there just to have sex. _Alone in an apartment instead of out in a public place?_

Spike moved to the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "Want something to drink?"

Buffy only gave him an askew smile. "No, thanks."

"Okay," he said and nodded as he closed the fridge. He walked back over to Buffy, sat on the armrest of the sofa across from her and eyed her as she gazed around the room. He didn't know what he'd done to make her uncomfortable again.

There was a long silence until Buffy said, "Maybe I should go."

"Right. Of course," Spike said with blatant disappointment and stood up. "Wanted to be with you, is all," he said softly. "But I understand if you have other things to do."

Buffy's heart sank. She felt stupid that she thought those things about him. How could anyone blame her though? How could anyone blame her for not being able to trust men when her husband had been a cheating son of a bitch?

Wanting to make things right before they had another misunderstanding and never see each other again, unless they accidentally bumped into each other again, she looked deep into his eyes, smiled, and said, "Maybe I can meet them next time."

Spike beamed. "There's going to be a next time?"

* * *

Joyce glanced up from the book she had been reading when Buffy cheerily waltzed into the living room. "I take it the meeting with the lawyer went well," Joyce said with a knowing smile.

"Uh-huh. Among other things," Buffy smiled and sat on the couch beside Joyce.

Joyce grinned widely. "I know that look."

"What look?" Buffy said as she pursed her lips and arched an eyebrow.

"That look you had the first time you met Liam."

Buffy chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I'm just happy, mom. I'm finally getting my life back on track. Sort of."

Joyce crossed her arms across her chest. "And does this happiness have anything to do with a guy? Say, someone named William?"

"You talked with Willow, didn't you?"

"I'm just happy you're happy."

"Thanks," Buffy said, smiling affectionately at her mother.

"So when will we meet this young man?" Joyce said as she clasped her hands together and placed them on her lap.

"You might have seen him a few of times before."

Joyce narrowed her eyes at Buffy. "I have, huh?"


	14. Meeting The Parents

**Sharp Curve**

**Chapter 14**

Beta: dawnofme

A/N: Sorry for the HUGE delay. I hope someone's still interested in this. :)

* * *

"You did _what_?" Spike asked, coughing. He almost choked on the soda he'd been sipping because of the news that Buffy, who was sitting next to him in the movie theater, had sprung on him.

Buffy took a hand full of the popcorn from the bucket on Spike's lap and shrugged as the opening credits rolled. She had been eager to see the movie and couldn't believe that she got Spike started by telling him right then about having dinner with her parents. She blamed herself for not being able to wait for the movie to end or at least until it became boring. When Spike started to talk, there was no stopping him until his side was heard out, or in so many cases, until she agreed with him.

"It's only one dinner. What's the big deal? It's not like they haven't met you before," Buffy whispered loudly, hoping to end the discussion. She didn't want to talk about it anymore so she tossed the popcorn into her mouth.

Spike gave Buffy a pointed look, as if she could have seen it in the dark. "That's... It's different. I'm not just one of your employees anymore, am I? I'm--" He broke off, not knowing what his place in her life was.

They'd been dating for a few weeks now and yet there still hadn't been any agreement as to whether they really were together – like boyfriend and girlfriend together. All he was sure of was that this thing with Buffy was really turning him into a pouf. He felt so unsure, so insecure, so inadequate...

And now that it seemed like she was ready from him to 'meet the parents' – though technically he'd already met them – much to his embarrassment, he still had not been able to find a decent, stable job. Although he had been occasionally temping and had moved out of Faith and Robin's apartment into one that he could afford. He just wasn't ready for a step as big as having dinner with a girl's parents, because that was a bloody leap – especially since he still didn't know what to call what he and Buffy were to each other.

A relationship. It was the only logical label, after having to go through the stage of doing nothing else but giving each other moon eyes and of course, shagging for hours on end and then the Buffy-spending-most-of-her-time-at-his-wee-little-apartment stage. And he was okay with being in a serious relationship with her. Wanted it even. He just didn't know if Buffy wanted it too, or if she was ready to have that after everything she'd gone through with the bastard, Liam.

Blinking a few times, he focused on Buffy's anxious expression. Her brows were slightly scrunched up and her bottom lip protruded, reminding him of the first time he saw her. He looked away and she slid forward to the edge of her seat to see his panicked countenance.

Buffy wrung her hands and, despite Spike having averted his eyes, asked, "You're...?" She had been wanting to have 'the talk' about their situation since the moment they _sort of_ agreed to see each other on a regular basis. She didn't want to assert that they were exclusive though it seemed to be that way. She wasn't dating anyone else and he wasn't either. But she wanted it to come from him. She wanted him to confirm it; to say that he wanted no one else but her.

When he didn't answer and instead just pretended to watch the movie, because she _knew_ he was just pretending – it was a chick flick for God's sake – she repeated her question, a little bit louder. But it was enough for the man behind them to shush them and say, "Try to keep it down, will ya?"

Spike watched as Buffy turned to the man and retorted, "Oh, shush yourself." She turned back to Spike and rolled her eyes when she saw his amused smirk.

Spike chuckled, took her hand and leaned in to whisper to her. "We'll talk about this later, yeah?"

And talk about it, they did. Or more like argued. But eventually, Spike agreed to go, mainly because Buffy already told her parents that he was going to go. It would have been more embarrassing if he didn't show up. However, that didn't mean he wasn't nervous or the least bit scared. He'd actually spent most of the next day picking out a shirt, finally opting for a light blue one which Buffy had said brought out his eyes. He'd also fixed his hair a couple of times that next evening before leaving – something he'd never done in his entire life save for that one time before his first date.

Spike had stood at the Summer's doorstep, waiting for someone to open the door as he'd already rung the doorbell – a big mistake, he'd reckoned. And as he'd felt beads of sweat trickle down the sides of his face. He wanted to get the hell out of there, but there was no turning back because Buffy had already opened the door with one of the widest smiles he'd ever seen on her face.

"Good. You're not late," she beamed and took him by the hand.

Spike muttered and dragged his feet as Buffy pulled him into the house. "I'm early."

Buffy hooked her arm around his as she led him to the living room to wait for her parents to come down. "Thank you," she'd whispered to his ear.

He just wanted to get it over with as he sat down on the sofa and waited.

To Spike's surprise, the dinner had gone smoothly. Her parents showed him nothing but kindness. They seemed very interested in him and in the things he had to say; very unlike the way he expected things would have gone. Buffy's dad, at one point, had asked him if he could call him Will, which Spike found to be a very good sign.

"See? It wasn't all that bad," Buffy told him as she walked him out of the house.

"It went fairly well, didn't it?"

"Uh-huh. Now don't be surprised if one of these days my dad invites you to play golf."

"Golf?" he asked dryly, his voice low and uninterested.

"Just a warning," Buffy teased, nudging Spike with her hips as they walked. She knew that Spike thought golf was a 'Nancy boy' sport and she just couldn't imagine him actually playing it. The image of Spike in beige shorts, a navy polo shirt and a visor made her giggle.

Spike huffed and mumbled sarcastically, "Can't wait for that."

"By the way, I talked to my dad and asked if he could give you a job at the company."


End file.
